Orman got a deal on it in 2007, when she paid $3.68 million. A similar apartment with Central Park views was going for $3 million more, the talk-show host told The Wall Street Journal.

ShutterstockSuze Orman

Real estate investing isn't her thing, Orman said, adding that she pays cash for homes. "If I can't write a check for it, I can't afford it," she said.

Like a grown-up version of Eloise, the 1950s children's book character who lived in the Plaza, Orman enjoys the apartment's location and perks, including room service, housekeeping and an upscale food court, she told the Journal.

She and her wife, Kathy Travis, considered the white-gloved butlers a little over the top, and their unit needed a year-long remodel to pull it out of Motel 6 territory.

Now it's a luxurious one-bedroom, two-bath apartment with herringbone hardwood floors, silver-leaf crown moldings and a chandelier in the bedroom. It comes furnished with designer furniture and window treatments.

Living at the Plaza also means in-building access to some of New York's storied hangouts, including the Palm Court, the Oak Room, the Champagne Bar, the Rose Club, and the Grand Ballroom.